1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the general field of medical devices and methods for cooling body parts to alleviate pain and inflammation. In particular, it provides a new medical device and a new method especially useful for the application of ice to the cheeks of a patient after oral surgery or other dental procedure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is common for dentists and oral surgeons to recommend the application of ice to the sore cheeks of a patient to reduce pain after oral surgery or other major procedure. Typically, a patient will hold an ice pack on the sore spot with one hand or will try to balance it in place while lying down. In either case, the person's ability to function normally is impaired by a certain loss of mobility. Therefore, it would be very useful and desirable to have a cooling device that could be worn around a person's cheeks, thus freeing him or her from the aforementioned constraints.
Several types of garments have been developed in the past to provide a cooling effect to the body of people working in hot environments. For example, mine rescuers often perform their duty in areas near fires and must wear heavily insulated protective gear. The addition of cooling garments to their normal clothing helps alleviate heat stress problems during mine rescue operations.
The cooling function of these devices is produced by the presence of cool water or ice in well placed reservoirs distributed throughout the garment. In some models, cold water is circulated through the garment in a system of flexible tubes; in others, dry ice is used to maximize the cooling capacity of the garment. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,354 (1977), De Rosa discloses an ice cooling vest consisting of sealed pockets containing water and removably attached to the garment around the body of a wearer. These water-filled pockets are frozen and affixed to the inside of the vest to provide the desired cooling and are later separated to be frozen again for future use.
It does not appear that anyone has developed a cooling apparatus for dental patients in the form of a wearable garment. Therefore, a need still exists for a practical device that provides the necessary cooling effect on a continuous basis and that can be worn without impairing the wearer's ability to function normally.